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U.S. military leaders warn Iran war is exhausting global readiness, Washington Post says Indo-Pacific defenses could face a vacuum

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Unnamed sources Ongoing story
  • Senior U.S. military leaders reportedly warned War Secretary Pete Hegseth that continuing large-scale operations against Iran could weaken readiness for threats in other regions.
  • Commanders from European, Pacific and Southern Commands, along with the Navy's top officer, reportedly recorded non-concurrences over extended deployments, although they would still carry out the orders.
  • The Navy's top officer reportedly said the service could not sustain its current level of support without a foreseeable end date, while officials said only about one-quarter of the destroyer fleet was ready to deploy.

Several senior U.S. military leaders warned Pete Hegseth that extending the Iran war could leave the armed forces less able to respond elsewhere, including to threats against the United States, according to people familiar with a classified Pentagon planning document.

The warnings appeared in the Aug. 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, or SDOB, according to The Washington Post. The document is issued about twice a month and reviews the global availability of U.S. ships, aircraft, personnel and weapons systems while reflecting the administration's military priorities.

Commanders overseeing U.S. operations in Europe, the Indo-Pacific and Latin America, along with the Navy's senior officer, reportedly marked their responses as "non-concur." They disagreed with orders to extend deployments but would still implement them. Assets from those commands have been shifted to support the Iran conflict, limiting their ability to conduct missions and maintain training.

The reported concerns emerged as more than 50,000 troops remained on alert for possible additional attacks. Some Middle East deployments were ordered to continue through September, while others could last into 2027. Army and Air Force leaders reportedly accepted Hegseth's preference for extended deployments but warned of major risks.

Navy Chief of Naval Operations Daryl Caudle reportedly said the service could not maintain its current support level without a predictable end date. The Navy has supplied dozens of ships for strikes, defense against Iranian retaliation and possible efforts to blockade Iranian ports while President Donald Trump seeks to force open the Strait of Hormuz. People familiar with the document said nearly one-quarter of the destroyer fleet was currently ready to deploy, a sharp decline from before the war. Hegseth spokesman Sean Parnell said the Pentagon does not discuss internal operational procedures or commanders' specific assessments.

non-concur

— Unnamed senior military commandersThe term reportedly used in the orders document to record disagreement with extended deployments.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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